A building with retail below, offices in the middle, and residents above is really three security problems sharing one address.

Conflicting Requirements: Retail wants open access during trading. Offices want controlled access on weekdays. Residents want restricted access permanently. A single policy satisfies none of them.

Vertical Separation Is Essential: The most common failure is a shared lobby or elevator core permitting movement between uses. Access control needs to enforce separation by floor and by time, not just at the street door.

Loading Bays Are the Weak Point: Deliveries create a propped door on a predictable schedule, and that door frequently connects to circulation shared with residents.

Parking Is the Other One: Shared parkades give commercial visitors access to residential levels. Overnight parkade patrols and enforcement address what design alone does not.

Governance Is Half the Battle: Strata, commercial tenants and property management often hold different views on cost and priority. A written security plan agreed by all three prevents the finger-pointing that follows an incident.

On Guard Security Ltd. works with mixed-use buildings across Metro Vancouver on layered access and patrol plans. Talk to us at onguardsecurityltd.ca.